Thursday, December 22, 2011

Last
October, my good friend Num Amen'Tehu and I went out to take photos for his
latest project.

Num
and I have worked together several times over the years. My photos have
ended up being used for his headshots, promotional materials, and album covers.

Originally
known as a percussionist, Num’s also a fantastic soulful singer who's
music is able to bridge many styles and genres of music. Num has worked
with a variety of artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Burning Spear, Stevie
Wonder, Gil Scot-Heron, Naughty by Nature, Common, Bootsy Collins and numerous
others.

He
and I have developed a rhythm where we talk through the different ideas of what
we want to obtain, and then in a very relaxed manner we walk around the
neighborhood capturing looks. I've seen Num perform numerous times and
I'm always struck by how his ebullience radiates to the audience. I've
tried to not only give Num the images that he's looking for but to also capture
some of that natural enthusiasm I see when he's performing.

Despite
many differences, Num and I share a passion for not only music but also true
soul music. Many times when trying to articulate ideas I find myself
saying to him, "well the image I'm looking for looks like how this song
sounds." And amazingly, he completely understands.

The
first time we went out, and trying to figure the next shot we were sharing
ideas and I said, "I'm looking for a basic joy that feels like Al Green's
'Let's Stay Together.'" The sun was shining and we were in front of
an old gothic looking church on the corner of 127th St and 5th Ave. Num
began singing a Capella 'Let's Stay Together.' His entire disposition
changed. Static shots became alive as I was trying to catch him in
mid-performance. Num no longer focused on the camera or me but became
enraptured in the song. A small crowd gathered to watch. I believe
that some of our most true shots came from that moment.

As
his image has changed over the last couple of years I've noticed maturation in
spirit that I hoped to capture. The first time I took Num's pictures was
in the middle of summer; he had long dreads and was looking for a cover shot
for his latest reggae album. However, over the last couple of years, Num
has lost the dreadlocks, and has slightly thinned, giving him a very different
appearance.

Riding
on the 4 Train on my way to Harlem, Marvin Gaye's 'Trouble Man' started playing
on my iPod. 'Trouble Man' was a song Marvin wrote for an early 70s movie
of the same name. The song came out a year after Marvin's seminal album,
"What's Going on" and the song clearly shows the personal creative
leap Marvin made into a very adult self-aware type of soul music. Marvin
played the drums and piano on the track as well as singing in a falsetto with
tinges of a gospel growl. With "What's Going On" Marvin had
entered a new phase of recording career that left behind the 60s and the
factory type of pop music that Motown had become famous for. The music
was concerned about grooves, a heavy combination of jazz, rock, soul, gospel
and crooning. According to Wikipedia, Marvin called the song one of the
more honest recordings he ever made.

As
I sat on the train listening to the groove and song over and over again, I
began to think of the ideas that I wanted to express to Num about what I'd like
to accomplish. When I saw him, the reference I started with was Marvin's
"Trouble Man." And I explained further how I had an idea of an
experienced adult musician that can turn the energy on whenever called, in the
tradition of the great blues performers like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and
Howling Wolf. Once again, Num completely understood what I was trying to
express.

We
walked to Marcus Garvey Park, down the street from where he lives in
Harlem. The park has a public swimming pool, an amphitheater and is
famous for having the Harlem Fire Watchtower, the only watchtower out of eleven
the city had built that still stands from the 1850s.

I
played around with settings and lighting. I tend to take an excessive amount
of pics, figuring that since it's digital it doesn't cost anything, plus
there's no fear or worrying about getting the right shot.

As
we passed the amphitheater on our way up the hill, I asked Num to get on the
stage. After a few far away shots, Num started to sing Marvin's
"What's Going On." Once he began to sing, Num began to tap into that
eternal cosmic groove.

Eventually,
we ended up on top of what's called The Acropolis, the artificial plateau where
the Watchtower sits. All of Harlem was before us, on a crystal clear late
October afternoon, while the sun was setting over the Hudson River.

I
believe that the images we captured present a musician in the prime of his
creative life, completely in command of faculties, more mature and wise.
I have hundreds of pics from that afternoon that captures various looks and
ideas that both Num and I were attempting, but I'm sharing the pictures that
emulates that groove I can hear in my head.

Monday, December 5, 2011

I went down to Zuccotti Park in
early October. The protest was still in its relatively infancy. The
weather was warm and the feeling of the park was relatively festive.

Downtown Wall Street is in relative
walking distance from where I live. Close enough that on a whim on a
nice day I was able to go and see what's going on, far enough that I
never heard one drum beat when I was asleep.

In
comparison to other city parks, Zuccotti Park is more of a large public
plaza. There are no facilities nor is their much grass. Close by are
both Battery Park and Battery Park City, where there are lots of grass
and trees and restrooms.

When I visited, the park had just
gained national attention. News vans, swat teams crowded the
perimeter. Protestors had begun a long term encampment. Plus, the 9/11
memorial had recently opened up, a block away. At times, the park
seemed to be as crowded with tourists as protestors.

The actual protest felt like a music
festival that was still going on, weeks after the bands left, strong
smells of urine, body odor, incense, cigarettes and dope. However,
signs of a working society were apparent, a library, a kitchen, a health
center, the drum circle on the South end and the protest-speech area on
the North end. People of all walks of life were there participating in
different forms, whether in conversation, observation, or debate.
Suits, hippies, flower girls, blue collar union guys with their hard
hats, trannies, punks, educated hipsters, older retirees, all showed up
and were trying to say something.

I walked the grounds, took photos of
who I could and of what I saw. I read the signs and listened to the
protest. After a couple of hours I walked over to Wall Street,
barricaded with parade gates. The plaza in front of the exchange was
cordoned off and guarded by mounted police. The tourists herded and
funneled past, watched intently by cops. I managed to peel off on Broad
and then walked up through canyons of skyscrapers and eventually back
home.